Starting mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



L. SCHMIDT.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.24.19I3.

1,251,293. Patented Dec. 25, 191'? IIVI/E/VTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LIONEL SCHMIDT, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO 1?. I. A. T., A

. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Dec. 25, 1917 Application filedlenuary a4, 1913. Serial no. 743,955.

To all whom it may concern; Be it known that I, LIONEL citizen ofthe United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Starting Mechanism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relate to starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, and

has especial reference to means including an electric motor. f

The object of the invention is to combine an electric starting motor with the ordinary speed control or gear shifting lever iii suc manner that the electric starting motor is controlled by the gear shiftinglever only at a certain fixed starting osit on, at other times being inoperative and incapable-of being thrown into accidental operation. By means of this invention, the control of the starting motor is centered with the speed control lever, and thereby extreme convenience and simplicity obtained, as well as absolute safety, and avoidance either of damaging the starting motor by throwing it' in when the driving motor is running at full speed, or by accidentally throwin it in at such times as to discharge or overc arge the battery.

The invention will be more fully understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section .of a mechanism embodying the invention;

and

Fig. 2 is a plan-view of the gate as modified in accordance with this invention.

1 represents a portion of the frame of an automobile, 2 the rear portion of the engine,

which is provided with the fly wheel 8, the

peripheryof which is cut to form gear teeth 4. 5 represents an electric starting motor of any suitable typecontai-ned in a casing 6. carried by the pinion on the armature shaft of the motor which meshes with a gear 18 connected by clutch rollers 9 to shaft 10. Splined on shaft 10 is a gear 11 operated by fork 12, and arranged to be thrown into mesh with the fly wheel teeth 4 when the engine is to be started, and out of mesh after the engine has been started. Instead of meshing the gear 11 with teeth on the fly wheel, obviously a SCHMIDT, a

engine base. 7 represents a gear carried by any other part of the engine or transmission can be used for the same purpose. The rollers 9, together with suitable inclines on the hub of the gear 8, con

- stitute a ratchet, whereby the electric motor 1 can drive the pinion 8, but upon increase of speed of the enginedisengages automatically so that the electric motor will not be driven by the engine.

The fork 12 is carried on a sliding rod 13 which slides in a bearing 14 and is provided with a forked arm 15 at the rear end. The rod 13. is also provided with a switch plate 16, which when thrown to the left in Fig. 1 closes the circuit of the electric motor at the sarhe time that gear 11 ismeshed with gear 4. 17 represents a spring latch engaging with notches 18 in rod 13 to hold it in either of its two positions. 19 represents the sliding and oscillating shaft journaled on the "frame and is operated by the speed control only when the control lever 20 is in the neutral position and opposite the starting slot 24L of the gate 21. In order to bring the lever 20 into this position, it is necessary for the driver to press down a rod 26 and trip latch 27 from engagement with lug 28 on gate 21, before he can move the lever to the neutral position opposite thestarting slot This prevents the operator, in going from the first or second speed to the third or fourth, from sliding the shaft 19 too far out and thereby not stopping the lever 20 opposite the slots for the third and fourth speeds.

Upon starting the engine from rest by means of the motor 5, the operator will throw the lever 20 into neutral position 0pposite the starting slot 24:, and when ready to start will throw the lever forward or to the right in Fig. 1, and thereby simultaneously engage gears 11 and 4 and close the electric circuit at switch 16. The engine will thereupon start,.and uponreaching the desired speed the clutch 9swill overrun and til thereby avoid damaging the starting motor. The operator will now engage the gears in the usual manner, and 111 doing so will first move the lever 20 to neutral position which will disengage gears 11 and 4: and open switch 16, and then properly engage the gears according to the speed or direction he desires. It will therefore be seen that the starting motor and switch can only be controlled trom a definite position of the speed lever and when all of the gears are in neutral position, so that when the engine is connected to the load, the starting motor is out of gear and the starting switch open. .Vhile l have not shown herein either the wellknown slide gear transmission, or the clutch which is usually placed between the flywheel and the transmission, it will be understood that this invention is to be employed in connection with these devices, and that they are omitted herein for the sake of clearness. While I have preferred to control the starting motor by means of the speed control or gear shifting lever, a similar result might be eitected by other means controlling the connection and disconnection of the engine to the load, as it is obvious that when the transmission gears are in neutral the engine can run free without load. It will, therefore, be seen that any element controlling the connection and disconnection of the engine to the load, and having an abnormal position from which the starting motor may be connected to the engine while the engine is uncoupled from the load constitutes a speed controlling lever as used and intended in this specification.

Various changes and modifications in the specific details and arrangements of parts can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with an internal combustion engine and a starting motor, of transmission gear operating means acting when moved to certain positions to positively control said starting motor.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine and a starting motor, of transmission gear operating means having a positive connection with said starting motor when in a neutral position and acting when moved into other positions to connect and disconnect said motor to and from the engine. 1

3. The combination with a transmission controlling means, and a slotted gate therefor, of a propelling motor, a starting motor, and means adapted to be positively actuated by said controlling means, whereby the start ing motor is controlled by the position of said controlling means relatively to said gate.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with an engine having a starting motor, of transmission gearing, and operating means for said gearing having a positive connection with said starting motor only in certain positions of said gearing.

5. The combination with a driving engine, of speed changing mechanism between said engine and its load, a starting motor for said engine, and means controlled by said speed changing mechanism for directly connecting said starting motor to said engine.

6. The combination with a propelling motor, of a starting motor, a transmission operating means acting to positively control the connection .and disconnection of the starting and propelling motor and also to permit the supply of power to said starting motor only when coupled to the propelling motor and when the latter is running free.

7 The combination with an engine, of a starting motor normally disenga ed therefrom, a speed controlllng gear Lever, and positive connections controlled by said lever for coupling said starting motor to said engine only from neutral position lever.

8. The combination with an engine, of a starting motor normally diesengaged therefrom, a speed controlling gear lever, and means positively controlled by said lever only from a certain neutral position for coupling said engine and starting motor and applying power to the latter.

9. The combination with a drive shaft, of driving mechanism, therefor including an engine and a starting motor therefor, means for controlling said driving-mechanism, an operating member for said cont-rolling means having a certain range of controlling movement, and means whereby an abnormal movement of said operating member beyond said certaln range will directly connect said motor to said engine and start said motor to drive said engine.

10. In an automobile speed controlling means, a slotted gate plate having in addition to the slots corresponding to several of said speeds, a slot in which said controlling.

means is shifted for effecting mechanical starting of the propelling engine, said gatev having means preventing ment of said starting slot.

11. The combination with an engine, of a starting motor normally out of connection therewith, means including a speed controlling lever for coupling the engine and the starting motor only when the engine is disconnected from the load, and means preventing accidental operation of said cou pling means during normal manipulation of said lever to vary the speed,

12. The combination with speed changing mechanism, of a power operated engine starting device, and a single movable memaccidental engageher and operative connections for selectively actuating either said mechanism or said device and for preventing operation of either when the other is in operation.

13. The combination with speed changing mechanism, of a power. operated engine starting device, and a single mov'ablew member and operative connections interlockable with said mechanism and said device for selectively actuatingeither said mechanism or said device and for preventing operation of either when the other is in operation.

14. .Thecombination with speed changing mechanism, of a ower operated engine starting device having a controlling memher, and a single'movable member and operative connections interlockable with said speed changing mechanism and with the controlling member of said starting device vfor selectively actuating either said mechamechanism whereby neither said mechanism T nor said device can be operated while the.

other is in operation; r v

16. The combination wlth speed changing mechanismhavin a ,movab1e member, of a starting device having a notched controlling member, and interlockable connections car-' ried by the movable member'of the speed changing mechanism and adapted for engagement with the notch of the'controlling member whereby neither said mechanism nor said device can be operated while the other is in operation.

. 17 L Thecombination wlthspeed changing mechanism having an oscillatory member,

of a starting device having a notched slidable controlling member, and interlockable connections carried by the oscillatory member and adapted for'engagement with the notch of the controlling member whereby neither said mechanism nor said device'can be operated while the other is in operation.

18. The combination with speed changing mechanism having a slidable and oscillatory member, of a smrting device having a controlling member, and interlockable connections between said members whereby neither said mechanism nor said device can be operated while the other is in operation. 19; The combination with speed changing mechanism having a slidable'a-nd Ls'cillatory member, of a starting device having a con-: trollmg member, nterlockable connections between said members, and means "for selectively operating "the slidable anr' oscillatory member of the speed changing mechanism to operate either said mechanism or said starting device. I

20. The combination with speed changing mechanism" having a slidable and oscillatory member, of a starting device having a controlling member, interlockable connections between said members, and a lever connected .with the slidableand oscillatory member of the speed changingmechanism for selectively operating the slidable and oscillatory member of the speed changing mechanism to operate either said mechanism or said starting device. 1

21. The combination with speed changing mechanism having a slidable and oscillatory member, of, a startin device having a notched slidable control ing member, an arm fixed ,upon and movable with the slidable and oscillatory member of the speed changing mechanism said armpbeing adapted for intermittentengagement with the notch of .the slidable controlling .member, a lever fixed to the slidable and oscillatory mem-f ber of the speed changing mechanism, and

means for guiding the lever and adapted to prevent operation of either the speed changing mechanism .or the starting device when theother is in operation.

22. The combination with a speed changing mechanism, ofa power operated engine starting mechanism, and operative connections common to both mechanisms" whereby either of said mechanisms maybe selectively operated but neither mechanism can be operated while the other is in operation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

. LIONEL SCHMIDT.

' Witnesses S. V7. MILLS,

T. C. CoLLmes.

copies of this patent may be obtained ior five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

